But I Want The Twaiiin!

So I hope you don't get tired of me posting stories from Heaventrain. Since I don't have kids of my own I post stories from my conversations with Heaventrain kids and their families. They challenge me in my faith and walk with the Lord.

I have one more story from yesterday...

It was the last stop of the day and we had finished with all the services. We had even given out all the last of the pizza, drinks, and goldfish crackers, we had a couple of cold pops left and that was it. A little boy comes running down the sidewalk in front of his dad.

I walk up to him, "Welcome to Heaventrain, we are finished with the bus today," but I give him the two cold pops.

He looks at me and starts pulling his dad toward the bus and big tears fill his eyes. These tears are too much for me to see. 'I want the twaiiiin!" I look to dad for his suggestions.

Dad helps me out he says,"He loves the train and the snack but our favorite is the songs and the prayer."

Ok, so I kneel down to the little boy, "Would you like to sing a song?"

"Yes"

Would you like to say a prayer?

"Yes"

So we stand there holding hands, and I start singing,

"Heaven is, a wonderful place, filled with glory and grace I'm gonna see my Saviors face cuz Heaven is a wonderful place."

He smiles the biggest smile. Starts jumping up and down and sings the song with me. It's the song that all the kids know and has been sung for maybe 35 years on the bus. The only song that came to my mind when I asked him if he wanted to sing.

To newcomers it might be a sort of a childish song but the words are simple but mean so much to all of the volunteers, and Heaventrain kids and their families. It unites many generations of Heaventrain families over the 35 years.

We sing the chorus twice...

"Heaven is a wonderful place filled with glory and grace I'm gonna see my Savior's face cuz Heaven is a wonderful place."

and the song was finished.

Then I looked at him, "Shall we pray?"

"Yes,"

What do you want to pray for?

"Sean"

So we pray for Sean and his family.

When we finish I asked him, "Are you Ok now?"

Yes! ...

"And can you go home without crying?"

Yes!

Well "Ok."

Then the moment passes when our sanctuary went from a bus to the outdoors. Where a little boy's request became so much more.

We had a pretty incredible day on Heaventrain with over 600 kids and the last 1 little boy reminded us what was the most important to him taking a moment to sing Heaven is a Wonderful Place and praying in community for Sean.

As we leave, he walks home with his dad back down the sidewalk to his house.

I come home and share with my husband,"Thank you for bringing me to Cleveland, to wreck my life."

Then I think about the sign above the door in our office, that came from Pastor Phil, that reads, "God specializes in wrecks." I always thought of that as the person who was a wreck and would then be mended and whole, now I recognize that sign has two meanings sometimes to be mended and healed it takes a wrecking process.

Both are all in His capable, trusting, out-stretched loving Hands filled with grace, peace, patience and strength to challenge us as we grow closer to Him.